Clothesline support



P 1965 E. B. WOOLSEY 3,206,03

CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Filed June 18, 1963 INVENTOR. EARL B. WOOLSEY EMQ-W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,206,037 CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Earl B. Woolsey, 73230 Erniiy Lane, Downey, Calif. Filed June 18, 1963, Ser. No. 288,755 9 Claims. (Cl. 211-11915) The present invention relates generally to the field of clothesline supports, and more particularly to one that may be used to maintain one or more clotheslines in a taut condition from a garage door when the door is in a substantially horizontal position.

Although numerous clothesline supports have been devised and marketed in the past, the majority of these devices require the use of a relatively large space in which the clotheslines are suspended. In the case of an apartment house dweller, for example, the potential user of a clothesline very often either has no back yard or one that is so small as to not lend itself to the suspension of clotheslines therein which employ supports of the type heretofore available. Also, the previously available clothesline supports have been in many instances unduly complicated, embodying spring-loaded devices for retracting the clothesline when not in use. Usually the cost of such spring-loaded devices has been so high as to discourage the use thereof, even when sufficient space is available for the proper suspension of clotheslines therein.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a clothesline support of relatively simple mechanical structure that can be fabricated from standard, commercially available materials, requires little or no maintenance attention, and one which can be mounted on the interior surface of a garage door to support clotheslines and clothes therefrom when the garage door is in a raised, substantially horizontal position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothesline support that utilizes the interior surface of a garage door as a mounting therefor, and which is completely concealed from view when the garage door is in a closed, vertical position.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing illustrating the same, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the clothesline support mounted on the interior surface of a pivotally supported garage door which is disposed in a horizontal position to permit clothes to be hung from the supported clotheslines;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the end portions of the support;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of that portion of the device shown in FIGURE 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the support mounted on the inner surface of a garage door;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the device;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a sheet of rigid but bendable material prior to formation into the shape shown in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the device.

With continuing reference to the drawing for the general arrangement of the invention, it will be seen that the clothesline support A, best seen in FIGURES l and 4, is particularly well adapted to be supported from the under side of a pivotally mounted garage door B, when the door is in the substantially horizontal position shown in FIGURE 1.

The invention includes a number of lengths of clothesline C which are removably held in a taut clothes-sup- "ice porting position between first and second elongate en gageable members D and E. Members D and E are in parallel relationship, situated adjacent opposite sides 10 and 12 of the door B. Each length of clothesline C includes first and second end portions to which third and fourth engaging bodies F and G respectively are affixed. Engaging body G is capable of removably interlocking at any one of a number of desired positions on the first engageable member D. The body F is likewise adapted to interlock with the second engageable member E at any one of a number of longitudinally spaced positions thereon.

The engageable members D and E are identical in shape, and are formed from an elongate sheet material H, such as'steel or the like, that can be bent or otherwise formed to define a web 14 having two side walls 16 and 18 extending upwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof. A section of the sheet H prior to formation is shown in FIGURE 6.

In the forming or bending operation in which the side walls 16 and 18 are formed, the sheet H is bent along the lines 20 and 22 shown in phantom line in FIG- URE 6. Prior to bending, a number of longitudinally spaced rectangular openings 24 are formed in sheet H, one of which is also shown in FIGURE 6.

Each rectangular opening 24 extends across the web 14 and into those portions of the sheet H that will define the side walls 16 and 18 when the forming operation is completed. Each of the openings 24 has two first notches 26 which extend outwardly in opposite directions therefrom in the portion of the sheet H that will constitute the side Wall 16 after the forming operation. The portion of the opening 24 in the part of sheet H that will constitute the side wall 18 after formation has two notches 28, which are shorter in length than first notches 26 and extend outwardly-in opposite directions therefrom. A portion of the first engageable member D is shown in FIGURE 5 and in this portion two of the openings 24 are shown, the purpose of which will'be explained hereinafter.

The first engageable member D, as can be seen in FIG- URES 1 and 4, is disposed inwardly from the edge 10 of door B, and parallel thereto. A number of brackets J are provided, each having a center portion 30 from which two legs 32 extend upwardly and outwardly to terminate in two tabs 34. Each bracket I is of such size that the portion 30 thereof abuts against the lower surface of web 14 and the two legs 32 extend upwardly and outwardly in abutting contact with the flanges 16 and 18. The tabs 34 are affixed to the under side of the garage door B by screws 36 or other suitable fastening means. The first engageable member D is supported from the door B by the brackets I so that the side wall 18 is disposed inwardly relative to the edge 10 of the door.

The second elongate member E is identical in construction to the member D and therefore need not be described in detail. The same identifying numerals used in the description of the first elongate member D are also used in identifying like parts of the second elongate member E, but for the sake of clarity herein in the case of the member E, a prime is added thereto.

The side wall 18' of the second elongate member E is located inwardly from the edge 12 of the garage door B.

Inasmuch as clothes will be supported from the clothesline C by clothes pins K as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the engageable members D and E must be sufficiently deep as the side walls 16 and 18, as can best be seen in FIGURE 5. A bore 44 of relatively large transverse cross section extends longitudinally in body G from a first end 46 thereof. A counterbore 48 extends longitudinally into body G from a second end 50 thereof, and a ring-shaped shoulder 52 is formed at the junction of the bore 44 and counterbore 48.

A cylindrical piston 54 is slidably mounted in bore 44, and this piston has an inner end 56 in which an opening '58 i s formed. The end portion 42 of line C extends through counterbore 48, bore 44, opening 59, into the piston 54, where it is formed into,a knot 60 of larger transverse cross section than that of opening 58. A relatively stitf helical spring 62 is situated in the bore 44, with the inner end 64 thereof abutting against the shoulder 52 and the outer end 66 of the spring pressing against the inner end 56 of piston 54.

Two ribs 68, as may best be seen in FIGURE 2, extend outwardly in opposing directions from opposite sides of body G. Each ri-b 68 is of triangular cross section and tapers inwardly from the end 46 of body G towards the end 50 thereof. The combined width of body G and ribs 68 is such that those portions of the ribs adjacent the end 50 are engageable with the notches 26, as shown in FIGURE 5. The combined width of the body G and the rear portions of the ribs 68 is sufiiciently great as to exceed the combined width of the opening 24 and notches 26, whereby withdrawal of the body through the engageable member D is prevented when the body is removably supported therein.

The engaging body F is identical in its outward configuration to that of body G, and the same numerals used in identifying the external portions of the body G are used in identifying like portions of the body F except that primes have been added thereto. Each body F has a longitudinally. extending bore 70 formed therein that forms a body shoulder 72 at the junction thereof with a counterbore 74- whichextends inwardly from the end 46' of the body. The extremity of the second end portion of the clothesline C is formed into a knot 60' that is disposed within the counterbore 74, as best seen in FIGURE 4.

Each of the clotheslines C shown in FIGURE 1 has ongaging 'bodies F and G mounted on the ends thereof, as

described. The side wall 18' of engageable member E.

is situated inwardly from the edge 12 of the garage door B. When it is desired to removably mount one of the clotheslines C on the door B (FIGURE 1), the engageable body F of the clothesline is inserted in one of the openings 24" in the second engageable member E in the same manner as described in detail with positioning of the body G in the first engageable member D.

The body G is then pulled relative to the clothesline C to compress the spring 66. When the spring is so compressed, the body G may be moved upwardly through one of the openings 24 to place the ribs in the notches 28 and 26. Upon release of body G, the spring 66 expands and draws the body G towards body F to cause the ribs 68 to nugly engage the notches 26 and 28, as shown in FIG- URE 5. Due to the tendency thereof to expand, the spring 66 will move the piston 54- outwardly relative to the end 50 of body G, and in so doing maintain the clothesline C in a sufiiciently taut condition to support clothes therefrom by use of clothes pins K.

The openings 24 in the first engageable member D are in transverse alignment with the openings 24 in member E so that the clotheslines C are in parallel relationship when the engaging bodies F and G are supported in oppositely disposed openings 24 and 24, respectively. The clothes L to 'be dried (FIGURE 1) are supported from the clothesline C by clothes pins K in a conventional manner.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGURE 7 which employs the same structural elements described in the first form, but these elements are associated in a 4 different manner. The modified form of the invention produces the same results as the first form thereof previously described.

In the modified form of the invention brackets I" are used that are identical in structure to brackets I and J. Brackets I" may vary in dimension from those of brackets I and I, but they are disposed in the same position on the garage door B as brackets J and J. Two engageable members D are provided (one only of which is shown in FIGURE 7) that are identical in structure to the engageable members D and E previously described. The same numerals are used in identifying components of the engageable members D" and bracket I" as used in the first form of the device, but a double prime is added thereto.

Members D" are of such transverse cross section that the interior upper surfaces of the side walls 16" and 18" may be placed in abutting contact with the lower exterior surfaces of the legs 32. Members D" are held in the position described by rivets, screws, or other fastening means 76, as shown in FIGURE 7. When so supported, members D" are used to removably support engaging bodies F and G, with the clothesline C being held taut therebetween.

Although the present invention is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments thereof and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for removably supporting at least one clothesline having first and second end portions in a taut condition on the inner surface of a pivotally mounted garage door to permit clothes to be hung from said clothesline when said doors is disposed in a substantially horizontal position, including:

(a) first and second elongate rigid members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings formed therein from which notches project outwardly in opposite directions, which first and second members are mountable on an inner surface of a door adjacent opposite sides thereof with said openings and notches in said first member being in coaxial alignment with said openings and notches in said second member;

(b) a clothesline having first and second end portions, which line is sufficiently long to extend between said first and second members;

(0) first and second elongate rigid bodies that are of such transverse cross section as to be insertable in said longitudinally aligned openings and notches, but unable to pass completely therethrough, with said first body being attached to said first end portion, and said second body having a longitudinally extending bore formed therein in which said second end portion is movably disposed; and

(d) springs means in said bore which moves said second end portion in a direction relative to said second body to maintain tension on said line and said first and second bodies in removable interlocking positions in said first and second members.

2. A device for removably supporting at least one clothesline having first and second end portions in a taut condition, including:

(a) first and second engageable means comprising elongate rigid members in which a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings are formed, with each of said openings having two notches that project therefrom in opposing directions, and with said openings and notches in said first member being alignable with gornparable openings and notches in said second mem- (b) means for holding said first and second members in spaced fixed positions wherein said openings and notches therein are in alignment;

(c) a clothesline having first and second end portions, which line is sufficiently long to extend between said first and second members; and

(d) first and second rigid bodies connected to said first and second end portions, said first and second bodies having tapered ribs projecting from opposite longitudinal sides thereof, which bodies and ribs are inserted in said openings and said slots associated with said openings, and with the combined width of each of said bodies and said ribs at the outer end thereof being greater than the combined width of one of said openings and slots to prevent said bodies from being pulled through said openings when said line is subjected to tension.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings in said first and second means are of rectangular cross section, and said first body of such transverse rectangular cross section as to permit slidable insertion thereof into one of said openings, with said first body having an interior hollow portion in which said first portion of said line is disposed when knotted to serve as a mounting for said body on said line.

4. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings in said first and second members are of rectangular cross section and said second body is of such rectangular transverse cross section as to permit slidable insertion thereof in one of said openings, a piston slidably mounted in a longitudinally extending bore in said body, which bore communicates with a counterbore in said body and defines a body shoulder at the junction therewith, with said line extending through said counterbore, bore and an opening in said piston to have said second portion formed into a knot of greater transverse cross section than that of said opening in said piston, and said compressible spring being disposed between said piston and shoulder to exert tension on said line when said second body in which it is disposed is positioned in one of said openings.

5. A device for removably supporting at least one clothesline having first and second end portions in a taut condition on the inner surface of a pivotally mounted garage door to permit clothes to be hung from said clothesline when said door is disposed in a substantially horizontal position, including:

(a) first and second elongate engageable members disposable adjacent opposite sides of a garage door and parallel thereto, said members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced, transversely disposed openings formed therein, each of which members is defined by an elongate sheet of rigid material that has been formed to provide a longitudinally extending web having two side walls extending upwardly and outwardly from opposite edges thereof, with said openings extending through said Web and the lower portions of said side walls;

(b) means for supporting said members from a door;

(c) a clothesline having first and second end portions,

said line being of sufiicient length as to extend between said first and second members;

(d) means mounted on said second end portion for removably interlocking any desired one of said openings in said second member; and

(e) spring-loaded means mounted on said first end portion for removably interlocking any desired one of said openings in said first member.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for supporting said members comprise a plurality of brackets, with each of said brackets including a central portion, two legs extending upwardly from opposite ends of said central portion, and two tabs extending outwardly in opposite directions from the upper ends of said legs, and a plurality of screws that extend through said tabs into a door, with said brackets being longitudinally spaced adjacent opposite edges of a door, and the interior surfaces of said central portion and legs abutting against the exterior surfaces of said web and said side wall.

7. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said means on said second end portion comprises a rigid body that is insertable in one of said openings, with said body having at least one outwardly extending portion that acts as a stop to prevent said body from being drawn through said opening.

8. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said means on said first end portion comprises a rigid body that is insertable in one of said openings, with said body having at least one outwardly extending portion that acts as a stop to prevent said body from being drawn through said opening, and a spring that maintains uflicient tension on said line to maintain said line in a taut condition.

9. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for supporting said members comprise a plurality of brackets, with each of said brackets including a central portion, two legs extending upwardly from opposite ends of said central portion, and two tabs extending outwardly in opposite directions from the upper ends of said legs, and a plurality of screws that extend through said tabs into a door, with said brackets being longitudinally spaced adjacent opposite edges of a door, and the upper interior surfaces of said side walls abutting against the lower exterior surfaces of said legs, with a plurality of fasteners that removably connect said side walls and legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,387,074 9/21 Roganson 211119.08 1,408,955 3/22 Lopez 267-71 1,449,346 3/23 Pagel 26771 1,896,996 2/33 Beglinger 211119.1 2,141,032 12/38 Cordell 211-119.15 2,293,251 8/42 Fords 211119.1 2,729,862 1/56 Marjama 161 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A DEVICE FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING AT LEAST ONE CLOTHESLINE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS IN A TAUT CONDITION, INCLUDING: (A) FIRST AND SECOND ENGAGEABLE MEANS COMPRISING ELONGATE RIGID MEMBERS IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPENINGS ARE FORMED, WITH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS HAVING TWO NOTCHES THAT PROJECT THEREFROM IN OPPOSING DIRECTIONS, AND WITH SAID OPENINGS AND NOTCHES IN SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING ALIGNABLE WITH COMPARABLE OPENINGS AND NOTCHES IN SAID SECOND MEMBER; (B) MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS IN SPACED FIXED POSITIONS WHEREIN SAID OPENINGS AND NOTCHES THEREIN ARE IN ALIGNMENT; (C) A CLOTHESLINE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, WHICH LINE IS SUFFICIENTLY LONG TO EXTEND BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS; AND (D) FIRST AND SECOND RIGID BODIES CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES HAVING TAPERED RIBS PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL SIDES THEREOF, WHICH BODIES AND RIBS ARE INSERTED IN SAID OPENINGS AND SAID SLOTS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OPENINGS, AND WITH THE COMBINED WIDTH OF EACH OF SAID BODIES AND SAID RIBS AT THE OUTER END THEREOF BEING GREATER THAN THE COMBINED WIDTH OF ONE OF SAID OPENINGS AND SLOTS TO PREVENT SAID BODIES FROM BEING PULLED THROUGH SAID OPENINGS WHEN SAID LINE IS SUBJECTED TO TENSION. 